Improvement in car-couplings



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER NEEL, OF RIOHWOOD, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 155,883, dated October 13, 1874; application filed June 27, 1874.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALEXANDER NEEL, of Richwood, in the county of Union and State of Ohio, have invented a new and Improved Car- Coupling, of which the following is a specification In the accompanying drawing, Fi gnre 1 represents a vertical longitudinal section of my improved car-coupling as attached to adjoining freight-cars, and Fig. 2 a front view ot' one draw-head with the link-supporting lever-rod.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The invention will first be fully described and then pointed out in the claim.

In the drawing, A represents a draw-head, of the usual shape and material, attached t-o the bottom frame of a frei gilt-car, with a strong buffer-spring, a, for allowing the sliding back ofthe draw-head on coming in contact with the connecting draw-head. The draw-head A .of one car is provided with a pin, B, which is connected by an extension-rod, B', with the top of the car, and guided in a suitable staple, b, thereon. A band-spring, d, ofthe car is bent forward and locks into a notch, cl', of pin B when the saine is raised, the pin B being readily released from the spring-catch on the sliding back of the draw-head. The drawhead A of the adjoining car has the common coupling-pin, but is provided with a lever-rod, G, which swings, by side shoulders f, on a perforated bracketbar, f', of the car; and supports, by a bottom guide-loop, g, with central lug gl and curved side recesses g2, the coupling-link D in horizontal position for coupling. The top or handle end of lever-rod C is guided in a slotted bar, h, and retained in position for holding the link by a catch-piece, t', of the car, which enters a recess, i', of the lever, or catches a projection, t', of the same. When the link is thus held horizontally, as indicated in Figs. l and 2, and the coupling-pin of the other draw-head raised, the approach of the cars produces the entering of the link, and, by the Contact of the lever-rod D with the draw-head, the dropping ot' the same and its swinging back over the other draw-head toward the car. The link enters then the draw-head until the concussion of the draw heads releases the raised pin and causes the dropping of the saine, and thereby the autoinatical coupling of the draw-heads.

For uncoupling, the pin B, with rod eXtension, is raised and locked by the spring-catch int-o position ready for recoupling whenever required.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The swinging lever-rod C, having guideloop g, in combination with top catch for supporting coupling-link until in contact with approaching connecting draw head, substantially as specified.

ALEXANDER NEEL.

Witnesses:

MARY E. FERGUSON, W. H. FERGUSON. 

